He was the Communist Party secretary of one of the most famous villages in China. He was ruddy-faced and jovial. Now, just 46, he has been found dead after an alcohol-fuelled dinner.

There is little doubt that Shen Hao is just the latest government official to fall a casualty to the mighty drinking sessions at the banquets that grease the wheels of both bureaucracy and business.

Mr Shen, head of the party in the village where a daring group of peasants launched land reforms 30 years ago, was found dead in his bed. There were no suspicions of foul play, according to officials.

He had been helped home the night before by other village officials after an evening of feasting and drinking with businessmen interested in investing in land at the remote, if renowned, community in central Anhui province.

Ma Jiaxian, his landlady, said: “He looked very tired and wanted to sleep.”

Another local official said Mr Shen had undergone a health check in April and was found to have heart problems. He said: “Shen has been busy with his job for a long time and didn’t attach too much importance to his health.”

In an interview with The Times just one year ago, Mr Shen explained how the village that was the birthplace of the land reforms that ended Chairman Mao’s commune system and led to China’s economic boom was still in the vanguard of change. The chain-smoking official had a ready smile. He described how he was already encouraging farmers to sign contracts assigning land to businesses or co-operatives for 30 years. “Our aim always is to raise the living standards of the farmers.”

An official in central Wuhan died of a heart attack this year after a drinking bout while entertaining. Another lapsed into a coma after similar boozing sessions.

One civil servant said: “Of course, you can choose not to drink. But it will be difficult when dealing with other officials. Drinking at the dinner table is an unspoken rule for doing business. We just have no choice.”

Guests at banquets are plied with fiery Chinese liquor so strong it burns the lips and tastes of a mix of petrol and coal. Diners who fail to comply with cries of “gan bei” or “Bottoms up” will risk making their host lose face.

About 500 billion yuan (£50 million) in public funds is spent each year on official banquets, much of that on the lethal “bai jiu” – or hard liquor. China consumes some five billion litres of liquor each year – mostly “bai jiu”.

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